NHS England and NHS Improvement have been working with the other health Arms Length Bodies (ALBs) to develop the new NHS leadership framework – Developing people improving care.

This is an evidence-based national framework to guide action on improvement skill-building, leadership development and talent management for people in NHS-funded roles.

The framework focuses on helping NHS and social care staff to develop four critical capabilities:

systems leadership for staff who are working with partners in other local services on ‘joining up’ local health and care systems for their communities

established quality improvement methods that draw on staff and service users’ knowledge and experience to improve service quality and efficiency

inclusive and compassionate leadership, so that all staff are listened to, understood and supported, and that leaders at every level of the health system truly reflect the talents and diversity of people working in the system and the communities they serve

talent management to support NHS-funded services to fill senior current vacancies and future leadership pipelines with the right numbers of diverse, appropriately developed people

The new publication contains practical examples from women clinical commissioning leaders on the skills, values, and behaviours that helped them to succeed in their own roles. These tips include:

recognise the qualities that make you a strong leader rather than adjusting to traditionally male models of leadership

relationships matter – seek mentorship and support from peers

consciously put yourself forward for new opportunities

remember that taking on leadership roles often affords greater flexibility, not less.

The publication also includes advice on supporting future women clinical commissioning leaders, including actively encouraging women colleagues to apply for leadership roles and making sure that wording in job adverts attracts rather than discourages female applicants.

NHS Clinical Commissioners have published a paper setting out their vision for the future of clinical commissioning.

Informed by interviews with CCG leaders and other key players in the health and care sector, The future of Commissioning suggests that we will continue to see an evolution in the commissioning system but that it remains a vital part of the health system that is focused on delivering for patients and local populations.

Clinically led approaches to planning and designing health services are more likely to be both innovative and effective. For this reason, clinical commissioning groups (CCGs) were set up to put GPs at the heart of NHS planning decisions. What progress have CCGs made in implementing their clinically led model and what more needs to be done?

This report looks at what has been learnt – including strategies to overcome challenges and identification of the main barriers to effective involvement – and makes recommendations for the future. Its findings about clinical involvement are relevant not only to policy-makers and CCGs but also to other organisations across the NHS involved in planning and designing services.

Some recent developments – such as the ‘footprints’ proposed for delivering STPs and the potential hospital savings identified by Lord Carter – are seen as providing real chances for improvement. However, respondents remain concerned about the continuing decline in staff morale, and pessimistic about the state of finances within individual trusts and the health service in general.

Clarity about the future of the commissioning system, a commitment to developing GP leadership, and improved leadership programmes, have been identified as critical to supporting current and prospective clinical commissioning leaders, in our new report with Hunter Healthcare.

Through a series of interviews with both clinical and managerial CCG leaders, the report, sets out how current leaders can be supported, and a future generation inspired and encouraged to take up a role in commissioning.

The report highlights how both clinical and managerial leaders are integral to the success of a CCG, bringing different strengths to the organisation and its ability to deliver more for patients. For example, clinical leaders bring a working knowledge of their local healthcare system and are able to draw on their clinical expertise to make a credible case for change, whereas leaders with a professional managerial background tend to have clearer insight into operational and financial details.

It also identifies qualities that make a top clinical commissioning leader including resilience, openness, emotional intelligence and being good communicators, with excellent listening skills and the ability to instil clarity of purpose.